32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus
was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were
afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to
happen to him, 33 saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son
of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will
condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; 34 they
will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three
days he will rise again." 35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came
forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever
we ask of you." 36 And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do
for you?" 37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your
right hand and one at your left, in your glory." 38 But Jesus said to
them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup
that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39
They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup
that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you
will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to
grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." 41 When the ten
heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them
and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they
recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants
over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great
among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you
must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give his life a ransom for many." (NRSV)

In many ways this Scene marks the climax of the Gospel thus
far and turning point of the Gospel as a whole. It is the final time prior to Jerusalem
in which Jesus attempts to instruct his disciples about the meaning of
discipleship and, more importantly, the meaning of his life and messiahship,
explicitly laying out for them not just his death and resurrection, which he
has done twice previously in chapter
8 and chapter
9, but also interpreting the purpose of his death for them.

Mark sets the scene by placing them on the road to
Jerusalem, but even more by telling us that Jesus was “walking ahead of them” alone
(10:32). Beyond even that detail, though, Mark tells us expressly why Jesus is
alone by giving us a view of the emotions of the disciples and the crowd which
continues to follow Jesus:“they were
amazed, and those who followed were afraid” (10:32). Now, “amazement” and “fear”
have not been absent from the disciples or the crowds in the past, yet it is
generally in light of some miraculous event, such as a healing, walking on
water or a multiplication of loaves. Mark has given us this insight, though, in
light of Jesus’ teaching on gaining eternal life. Jesus
sent the rich man away because he would not sell all that he had; the disciples
were perplexed, confused and challenged by Jesus’ saying and actions. Mark
tells us it has gone beyond confusion regarding his teaching; in fact, Jesus’
teaching has created fear amongst his followers. His last encounter with the
rich man seems to have made clear that Jesus’ way is not an easy way, nor
easily comprehensible on human terms, or perhaps even on divine terms as they understood
them.

Without an explanation, Mark makes it known that Jesus
perceives their dilemma, as “he took the twelve aside again and began to tell
them what was to happen to him” (10:32). What he tells them mimics what he has
said in the previous Passion Predictions (8:31, 9:31), with slightly more
detail than the previous two predictions but no new information:

"See, we are going up to
Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the
scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to
the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill
him; and after three days he will rise again." (10:33-34)

The response is also similar to what we saw in the previous
two chapters, in which Peter rebukes Jesus and in which the disciples argue over who is the greatest, responses which highlight the fact that they have not
heard the significance of what Jesus is saying or do not believe it. Mark makes
the response of James and John immediate in Scene 8, giving the audience no
time to reflect upon what Jesus said and drawing attention to the fact that
James and John could not even have let the words sink in before they begin to focus
their attention on their own desires and ask something of Jesus.

In light of Jesus’ claim that he must suffer and die, James
and John find it the opportune time to say, "Teacher, we want you to do
for us whatever we ask of you" (10:35). It is the equivalent of hearing
someone say that he has been diagnosed with cancer and responding by asking him
whether when he dies you could have his bookshelf that you have liked so much. Jesus does not, so far as we are told, respond
by dropping his jaw to the ground, or pushing them angrily aside, but instead
he asks them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” (10:36). The request of
the brothers Zebedee shows, though, that something has sunk in with them, for
their request focuses on God’s kingdom to come which they believe Jesus will
establish. That
much became clear to them at the Transfiguration: Jesus’ true home is glory.The problem is one of timing, and not
just in that Jesus has announced his coming death a third time, but they desire
glory without the suffering. They will not hear what Jesus has to say: the
Kingdom will come, but the Messiah must first suffer and die. Instead they ask,
“Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory”
(10:37). That is, in your royal power, make us your vice-regents.

Jesus tells them that they do not even know what they are
asking – which seems to be the case literally – and then outlines his
forthcoming suffering in metaphors:

“Are you able to drink the cup that I
drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (10:38)

They respond simply, “We are able,” and Jesus agrees that “the
cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized,
you will be baptized” (10:39), even if the brothers do not understand the
significance of what they have said yet. Jesus, that is, agrees that they will
undergo similar sufferings to his, ironic considering what they believe they
are requesting, but he then goes on to reject their request to be his kingly
vice-regents. Jesus explains that it is not his power to do so – “to sit at my
right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it
has been prepared” – which might indicate that it is God the Father’s prerogative
or it is dependent upon behaviors which transcend those of the brothers.

The reaction of the ten to the requests of James and John
indicate resentment – “when the ten heard this, they began to be angry with
James and John” (10:41) – but Jesus’ subsequent teaching supports a reading
that their anger at James and John was based upon their own desire to have a
greater share of power and glory not because the brothers had been rude in
passing over Jesus’ pronouncement of suffering. As a result, Jesus explains the
purpose of his death to them and the meaning of their leadership amongst his
followers.

“You know that among the Gentiles those
whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are
tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become
great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you
must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give his life a ransom for many.” (10:42-45)

As Jerusalem looms in the next step down the road, Mark has
Jesus take them aside in order to dig deep into their shared mission.

Jesus says to be a leader in the Church is not to be “a lord”
or “tyrant,” though the disciples’ words have indicated that this is their hope
and desire. Jesus’ goal is not to replace Gentile lords and tyrants with new,
improved Jewish lords and tyrants, but in the Kingdom, or “reign,” of God
rulers must be servants and, in Jesus’ strongest language, “whoever wishes to
be first among you must be slave of all.” This is not empty language for the
troops from a general who surveys the slaughter on the battlefield safe from a
mountaintop, but one who will lead the charge.

Jesus says that “the Son of Man came not to be served but to
serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (10:45). It is only one sentence,
but it sums up the purpose of Jesus’ death, the sort of Messiah he is and the
reason he goes willingly to Jerusalem. He interprets his death as a sacrificial
death – “a ransom for many” – based upon his goal of serving people. The
language of “ransom” evokes salvation through purchase, freeing “many” in this
case, from slavery or capture. The “for many” suggests the language of Isaiah 53:12 of
the “Suffering Servant Song,” in which the servant “poured out himself to
death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.” Naturally, the servant language
of Jesus also connects to Isaiah 52:13-53:12 as a whole. Jesus desires his death not for
the sake of death, not for the sake of glory, but for all those who cannot save
themselves. This is whom you are following Jesus says.

New Commentary on Mark

"John Martens reminds us that the Gospel of Mark is a dramatic book—with an energetic Jesus moving rapidly from one exciting moment to the next. Martens’ book is a terrific invitation to encounter Jesus of Nazareth in all his immediacy and excitement. Bringing together deep learning with his trademark flair for clean, clear, direct prose, Martens offers us one of the most creative and innovative books on the Gospel that I’ve read in years."

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